German colonialism in the courtroom—law, reparation, and the grammars of the Shoah

Rechavia-Taylor, Howie ORCID: 0009-0002-5503-9802 (2024) German colonialism in the courtroom—law, reparation, and the grammars of the Shoah. Humanity: an International Journal of Human Rights, Humanitarianism, and Development, 14 (2). 212 - 229. ISSN 2151-4364

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Abstract

In the quest to address the lingering consequences of colonialism and slavery, activists and human rights practitioners have increasingly utilized legal channels. This article focuses on the Ovaherero and Nama people's pursuit of reparations from Germany in hearings held in New York between 2017 and 2019. It explores the historical conditions for bringing such a case in the United States, arguing that the 1990s economy-focused Holocaust Restitution Movement is a crucial backdrop. The argument examines the implications of applying this 'thefticide' framework to a colonial genocide, suggesting that it provides both an opening and a foreclosure of reparatory possibility in the context of a colonial history where private property relations were first imposed in order to dispossess.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	© 2023 University of Pennsylvania Press
Divisions:	International Relations
Subjects:	D History General and Old World K Law J Political Science > JZ International relations
Date Deposited:	08 Feb 2024 11:15
Last Modified:	01 Nov 2024 02:15
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/121978

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